“Hendrick Health System, along with our physicians, is committed to serving our region by offering high quality healthcare while assuring great patient satisfaction,” said Tim Lancaster, president and CEO of Hendrick Health System. “By joining together with comparable, community hospitals, we can learn from each other about best practices in a cost-effective environment, while providing the very best care for our patients.”

Texas Care Alliance (TCA) was founded by Baylor Scott & White Health (BSWH), the largest nonprofit Texas health system, and Trinity Mother Frances Hospitals and Clinics of Tyler in March 2013 to facilitate the coordination and delivery of healthcare services that are patient-centered and physician-driven to improve the overall health of a defined population.The systems' service areas cover 193 Texas counties.

"The triple aim of healthcare is to improve the quality of care delivered to our patients, improve their experience of that care, and reduce per capita costs," said Robert Pryor, MD, MBA, chief medical officer and chief operating officer of BSWH and secretary/treasurer of the TCA board. "TCA will be the platform for physicians to adopt common metrics, measure performance, and share clinical and administrative best practices with its membership."

Joel Allison, BSWH chief executive officer and TCA chairman of the board, said, "Now more than ever, it is critical for community-based healthcare providers to collaborate and accelerate change. The TCA exists to support providers who are stepping up to the challenges of healthcare now and in the future. We are going to demonstrate innovative, value-based methods for reducing costs and improving quality in a post-healthcare reform world.

"TCA will be using Explorys, a data platform that is a spinoff of the Cleveland Clinic. Explorys will facilitate data sharing between practitioners, payers and health systems. The data will allow healthcare providers to build a composite view of a population's health to meet care needs, improve quality and assess risk of disease.